Fight for Survival
by Jyuuken
Summary: What if you had to kill all your classmates to survive? Would you be able to? It's Battle Royale Naruto Style!pairings are SasuSaku, NejiTen, slight NaruHina, slight ShikaIno
1. CH 1

**Summary: **Okay for those of you who are not familiar with Battle Royale, the basic plotline of it is that a class of 15 year old students is chosen to take part in a "game" called Battle Royale where the object is that the students have to kill each other in order to survive. There is supposed to be only one winner within the time limit (which is 2 days) or everyone will die. I was reading the book the other day and was wondering what would happen if the characters from Naruto had to take part in it. And here's my version of Battle Royale, Naruto style! WARNING: character deaths

**Disclaimer: **I dont own the characters from Naruto, no matter how many times I try to steal them. I don't own the whole Battle Royale scenario. So you can pretty much guess that I'm not maing any money off of this.

**Ch. 1**

As Uchiha Sasuke slowly came to, he remembered how much he hated field trips. Why had he agreed to go on this one? Why hadn't he just stayed home as usual The sounds of the rest of his class waking up were heard all around him. Knowing there was no point in just lying slumped on a desk, Sasuke forced himself up into a sitting position, trying to ignore the pounding in his head without much success.

"W-what's going on?" a nervous voice said to his right. He immediately recognized it as Haruno Sakura, one of the smartest girls in the class. He turned his head to look at her and noticed her pale green eyes were wide with fright.She began to look around the classroomnoticing that itbore an almost perfect resemblance to their own classroom back home, only here all the windows were covered with large steel plates.

All of his classmates were awake now, some more calm than others. In the next row, three seats in front of him sat Nara Shikamaru, looking only slightly disturbed. In the back left corner sat Sabakuno Gaara, perfectly calm. In the front right corner sat Kaguyo Kimimaro, his face emotionless as alwaysBut there were some students,such as Yamanaka Ino and Inuzuka Kiba who were starting to get worked up. "What the fuck is going on?" Kiba yelled at no one in particular while Ino tried desperately to hide the fact that her body was shaking uncontrollably. She failed miserably.Just as Sasuke was about to get up and look for a way to escape, the door opened and a man flanked by three soldiers walked in. The man looked aroundthe room and smiledHe stood at the front of the room, right in front of the board as any teacher would do. But Sasuke highly doubted that this was a teacher. The man was tall and thin, but he was obviously very strong. He had incredibly pale skin and long black hair that hung down his back.

"Well hello class." he greeted pleasantly. Well, it would have been a pleasant greeting were it not for the fact that the man's voice sounded inhuman. "I bet you're all wondering how you got here and what's going on. Don't worry. Everything will be explained. I am you're teacher, Orochimaru."

"You're not our teacher!" Uzumaki Naruto, the loudest guy in classyelled. "Our teacher is Iruka-sensei!"Orochimaru smiled maliciously. "Where's Iruka-sensei?"

"You want to see Iruka? Alright." he turned to one of the soldiers on his right. "Kabuto, bring Iruka in please."

"_Hai_, Orochimaru-sama." the bespectacled soldier left the room ands Orochimaru looked at the class, a strange smile on his face. Naruto, who had been standing, sat down, a worried look on his face. He had a bad feeling about this, but he wasn't sure why. In any case, just seeing Iruka**-**senseiwould make him feel a little better about the whole situation.Moments later, Kabuto came back carrying a large duffelbag. He set it on the teacher's desk in the front of the class. Sasuke couldn't help but notice the strange smell coming from the bag. It wasn't too strong, but it was most definitely unpleasant. The smell triggered unpleasant feelings deep in the pit of his stomach and he struggled to figure out what the smell was. **_I've smelled this before...but where?_**

"Where's Iruka-sensei?" Naruto yelled.

"Right here." with that being said, Orochimaru proceeded to unzip the bag and spilled it's contents on the desk. Several students shrieked in shock and horror at seeing their beloved teacher's body parts splayed across the desk. Most of the front row was splashed with blood. Ino, who sat front and center screamed hysterically, staring at her blood soaked handsand shirt. Sasuke's eyes were wide with disbelief and he had unconsciously moved back in his chair. Akimichi Chouji,who sat in the back, first rowstood up andbacked into the wall, trying to get as far away from the mutilated body as possible. Orochimaru smirked. "Apparently, your teacher greatly opposed the selection of your class for this year's Battle Royale. We can't have people opposing the government, now can we?"

"You bastard!" Naruto yelled, his face flushed with rage. He stood up and was about to run to Orochimaru but one of the soldiers pointed an automatic rifle at him.

"Sit down!" Naruto stood still, this being the first time he had ever had a gun pointed at him. The soldier narrowed his eyes. Sasuke had a feeling that he wouldn't hesitate much longer to shoot Naruto so he turned around and pulled his classmate forcefully back into his seat. The soldier slowly lowered the rifle but continued to stare at Naruto. Orochimaru stared at Sasuke, his lips upturned in an amused smile. Sasuke stared back, his face devoid of any emotion.

"Well, now that you know what happened to your teacher, time for me to tell you why you're all here.Your class has been chosen to participate in this year's Battle Royale, which is a really fun and enjoyable game. The aim is to have one winner by the time the game ends, which will be exactly two days after the game starts. Any questions so far?" Kidoumaru, a thug belonging to the gangcalled Sound Four, raised his hand.

"How do we play this game?"

"I was just getting to that." Orochimaru said. "The way to play is..." he paused, looking at each and every student before continuing. "You must kill each other until only one student is left."

**Dum dum DUM! thats the end of chapter 1. and dont worry, the next chapter will be MUCH longer than this one was. I hope you like it coz I worked really hard on it! Please Review! I really get encouraged to write more if i get a lot of reviews!**


	2. CH 2

**Woohoo! I got two reviews! Awesome! This chapter is a bit longer than my last. I'm going to try to make every chapter pretty long because I hate short chapters. They always leave me feeling unsatisfied. Oh, and I think Dosu was a bit OOC in here...please forgive me! I think Sasuke was a little OOC too...but that won't last long. He'll be back to normal in the next chapter. **

**xiccibanx: Well, I must say that it's good to know that I did a great job assimilating myself and using rhetoric. It was my aim all along. (well...maybe it was unconsciously my aim..heehee) Anyway, you better keep reading and reviewing or else I'll be really upset and I won't send you the chapters in advance anymore!**

**Son of Darkness: You love me, you really love me! LOL! Your review made me feel so happy! I'm so ecstatic that you like my fic so much!And Im' so honored that its going into your favorites!The first fic that I posted here and it's already someone's favorite! Wow! But, yeah, I just had to combine my two loves: Naruto and Battle Royale.I just hope that none of my future chapters disappoint you...now I have to be extra careful to make sure every chapter is as good, or better than the last! I hope you continue to enjoy!**

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**Ch. 2**

The silence in the room was deafening.

"_Nani?"_ Inuzuka Kiba yelled, gripping the edge of the desk as if it were a life saver in deep water. The "teacher" laughed.

"That's right. You have to kill each other in order to win. And don't think that once the game starts you can just all stick together and wait for the end. If, by the end of two days, there is more than one person left, then everyone who survived will die. I suppose none of you noticed those bands around your neck." As if on cue, everyone reached up and touched their necks. Sasuke was shocked that he hadn't noticed the band earlier. It was made of thick metal and had no clasps to take it off. "Those bands are water-proof, shock-proof and permanent! The only person who can take them off is me and I'll only do that for the winner. Needless to say, when you die you won't care if you're buried with the band on. Oh, and if you try take it off yourself, the band will explode and you'll die." there were a few gasps from the students but most of them were too shocked to react to anything Orochimaru was saying. "Those metal collars also serve as a tracking device so I can see where you are, which will become important if you're caught in a forbidden zone. Which brings meto the game rules! One: stay away from forbidden zones. If you are caught in one, your collar will explode. The forbidden zones will be announced twice a day, which is every twelve hours. You will be given a map and compass so don't worry about not knowing where you are. Also, the names of students who have been killed will be announced four times a day, which is every six hours. As soon as the game begins, this school will become a forbidden area to make sure that no one tries anything funny. Rule two: you will be given a bag with all the necessary items; food, water, map and compass, flashlight, personal items for the girls, and a weapon. The weapons will be distributed randomly in the bagsso not everyone will get the same weapon. This is so you students will be on more equal ground during the fighting. How boring would it be if the stronger students got better weapons and the weaker ones got bad weapons? No, we want this to be a good, fair game. Rule three: you will all leave this room one by one. If you linger inside the school after your name is called, then your collar will explode. I will call a name every two minutes, which means that you have two minutes to get outside. I-"he stopped suddenly and threw a knife to the back of the class. Everyone turned around to see Tsuchi Kin sitting in her chair next to Sabakuno Temari. The only problem was that Kin had a knife embeddedin her forehead. Blood ran down her face and she slumped out of her chair and fell on the floor. ( Student # 20- Tsuchi Kin...DEAD) Temari was just staring at the body of her friend in shock. "There will be no talking while I'm talking! Didn't you learn that from your teacher?" Orochimaru asked. Kinuta Dosu stood up and angrily pointed at Orochimaru

"You asshole! What the fuck is your problem?" Everyone knew that Dosu had a thing for Kin, but had never told her. "You can't just go around killing students!"

"You're right, killing her was against the rules. But it doesn't matter now. Hey, you should be happy. That's one less person you have to compete with."

"Bastard!" Dosu roared. Orochimaru sighed and took out a small silver square. It was a remote of some sort.

"I didn't think I would have to do this, but I think I need to. This, class, is a demonstration of what happens when your collar explodes." he pressed a button on the remote and Dosu's collar started beeping. "I would suggest you all get away from him." All of the students who were sitting around him got out of their seats and ran to the other side of the room. Dosu was struggling with his collar, trying to tear it off, but to no avail. The beeping was becoming more high pitched and faster until suddenly it stopped. There was a strange thud and Dosu's head flew into the air, landing right on Hyuuga Hinata's desk. She gasped and stared at it with huge, terrified eyes. (Student # 11**- **Kinuta Dosu...DEAD)** "**Whata shame." Orochimaru said. "Well, before we start, does anyone have any questions?" Hyuuga Neji, Hinata's cousin, raised his hand.

"What happens to the winner of this game?" Tenten looked at him in shock. **_Is Neji planning to actually play this game? If he is then there's no chance for anyone. No one can beat Neji in a fight. _**

"I'm glad you asked that! The winner gets to move to a new home and is rewarded with a very large sum of money. You also get a personal phone call from the leader of Akatsuki, the secret government group that is in charge of Battle Royale. Any more questions?"No oneraised their hands. "Alright. Well, I suppose it's time to start the game. Remember: the game starts as soon as you leave this school. So be ready for anything." The students started looking at each other, all wondering the same thing: who was going to die? "Alright, Student # 1- Abumi Zaku. You're first."Zaku got up and walked to the front where he was given a beige canvas bag. He then left the room without a backwards glance. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Zaku was a bully who really didn't have any friends besides Kinuta Dosu. He seemed like the type to do anything to survive. He would probably play the game.

The room as deathly silent as Orochimaru waited for the two minutes to be up. The smell of blood had become stronger with the deaths of Kin and Dosu. It was now overpowering the room. Sasuke wished he wasn't Student # 21. He desperately wanted to get out of that room. It was the same smell as when...No, he couldn't think about that. In a situation like this he needed to be focused.

"Alright, Student # 2- Aburame Shino."Shino walked to the front and got his bag. He looked back at the class before he left, but Sasuke couldn't tell if it was remorseful or not because of the dark sunglasses Shino always wore. Next to him, Sasuke heard soft sniffles. He turned his head to see Haruno Sakura crying. This was the first time he had ever seen her cry. She was always so happy, always smiling. He wasn't sure what would happen to her. To his knowledge she had never won a fight against anyone in her entire life. Making sure that Orochimaru wasn't looking at him, Sasuke reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He didn't normally do things like that, but for whatever reason, he felt bad for her. She jumped slightly and looked at him in surprise. He offered her a half smile and she smiled shakily back at him. She seemed so frail at that moment. It would be so easy for anyone to kill her. She needed someone to protect her, but considering what the rules of the game were, no one would trust her easily. "Student # 3- Akimichi Chouji." Chouji walked to the front nervously. He was another one that Sasuke doubted could make it on his own. He was fat and wasn't athletic at all. After getting his bag, Chouji left the room.

Sasuke felt something bump his shoulder and he looked at Sakura who looked down pointedly. He looked down and saw a small ball of paper lying on the floor. Watching Orochimaru, he quickly leaned down and picked it up. After unrolling it under his desk, he looked at the message written in Sakura's neat handwriting. "**_What are you going to do, Sasuke-kun? Are you going to play the game or will you just hide out somewhere? This is so scary! I don't know what to do!"_** Sasuke looked back at Sakura when he was done reading. He grabbed a pencil from his pocket and answered. **_"I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I don't want to play this game. It's sick. But I don't want to die either. Why don't you wait for me outside the school after they call your name. Make sure you hide yourself well, I'm sure there are a few students here who are ready to kill. When I come out I'll whistle three times so you know when to come out."_** He quickly passed her the note and when she read it she smiled at him.

"Student # 4- Haruno Sakura." She jumped when Orochimaru said her name. Hesitantly, she walked up to the front and got her bag. She looked back at the class with tears in her eyes, her gaze lingering on Yamanaka Ino. The two girls had been best friends until recently. They had a huge falling out over something, but Sasuke never paid any attention to gossip. Sakura choked out a sob and left, running out of the room.

It was strange how long two minutes felt. Two minutes used to be so short, but now it seemed as though an eternity passed before they were up. "Student # 5- Hyuuga Hinata." Hinata stood up, looking down at the floor. She was probably the shyest person in the entire class, and she didn't have many friends. But she was very kind and always liked to help people. Uzumaki Naruto felt a pang of sadness as Hinata left the room. She didn't deserve to go through this. Well, none of them did reallybut Hinata had never done anything bad to anyone to his knowledge. And she was so timid and shy all the time. Who could live with themselves if they killed her? "Student # 6- Hyuuga Neji." He got out of his chair, face totally blank. Naruto suppressed a shiver. Nejiwas often called "The Hyuuga Prodigy", and with good reason. He succeeded at everything he tried. He was a top athlete and got top grades.

He was also very anti-social, but was he actually going to play this twisted game? Naruto had no idea. He never really talked to Neji. All he knew was that if Neji was going to play, he could probably wipe out half the class in the first five hours. "Student # 7- Inuzuka Kiba." Kiba stood up, his face drawn and sick looking. Kiba was one of the loudest guys in the class, second only to Naruto himself, and yet he was so quiet when he got up. That was a sure sign that Kiba was disturbed. He gave one last look at the class before saluting and running off. Naruto looked down at his desk in shame. He should have tried to make some sort of contact with Hinata, to let her know she wasn't alone. He had no intentions of playing this game. He wished he'd thought to tell Hinata that she could trust him, that she didn't have to fight. He would protect her. But it was too late now. Unless...maybe he could go after her. Just to make sure she was okay. Of course, he would much rather go after Sakura, but he knew that Uchiha Sasuke was planning to stay with her. That bastard. If anything happened to Sakura-chan...**_If anything happened to her you'd what? Kill him? Could you do it? Could you actually kill one of our classmates? Even one that was so anti-social and arrogant as the Uchiha kid? He never did anything to anyone. In fact, Uchiha Sasuke makes it a point to stay away from everyone. Will he be able to kill? Will he kill Sakura-chan? Will he kill me?_** "Student # 8- Jiroubou." The fattest guy in the class stood up and walked to the front. He looked at the other members of the gang Sound Four and nodded at them. They nodded back and he left. He was most definitely playing the game. Naruto had no doubt about that. Jiroubou was a bully. He didn't care about anyone in the class. **"**Student# 8- KaguyoKimimaro." Kimimaro got out of his seat and calmly walked to the front. Orochimaru handed him his bag and he calmly walked out of the class. "Hmmm...it seems as though Kimimaro-kun is ready to play the game." the pale teacher said with a chuckle.

Two minutes passed achingly slowly"Student # 10- Kidoumaru." He walked up to the front and grabbed his bag. Kidoumaru was another Sound Four member. He was going to play the game too. At least that was Naruto's assumption. Another two minutes passed. "Student # 12- Nara Shikamaru." Naruto stared at Shikamaru, a friend he had known for most of his life. He was sure Shikamaru wasn't going to play. Would he? As soon as he thought it, he felt guilty. How could he think that Nara Shikamaru of all people might actually participate? This was Shikamaru! He would probably hide out in a cave somewhere and not move because the game was to troublesome for him. Shikamaru took the bag reluctantly and looked at the remaining students. He sighed and muttered something under his breath which sounded suspiciously like "_Mendo kuse_."Walking at his usual lazy pace, he left the room. Another two minutes of absolute silence. Naruto was actually looking forward to another student being called just so there would be some sort of noise. He immediately felt guilty after thinking it. How could he wish for someone to go out of the safety of the school to play in this insane game? "Student # 13- Rock Lee." Lee stood up and walked to the front. He took a bag and looked at the class.

"I just want to say before I leave: good luck everyone." he bowed slightly and left.

"Well, that was nice." Orochimaru commented, amused. Another torturous two minutes passed. "Student # 14- Sabakuno Gaara." the only red haired student in the class got up out of his chair and went to get his bag. He looked at his twin brother and sister, Sabakuno Kankurou and Sabakuno Temari, and walked out. Gaara wasn't a very friendly person, but Naruto didn't think he would kill anyone. Unless he would...He didn't know Gaara well at all for two reasons. One, he and his siblings had just transferred into the class in the beginning of the year and two, he only really talked to Kankurou and Temari. It was impossible to predict what he might do. Yet another two minute eternity. "Student # 15- Sabakuno Kankurou." Kankurou was another quiet one, though not as much as his brother. Naruto had a few conversations with him and Kankurou was casual friends with Aburame Shino. Kankurou grabbed his bag and rushed off, presumably to find his brother before it was too late. Two more excruciating minutesticked by."Student # 16- Sabakuno Temari." The blonde student got to her feet and carefully stepped over Tsuchi Kin's body to get to the front. She held her head up high, but Naruto suspected it was so that no one could tell if her eyes were tearing. She roughly snatched the bag out of Orochimaru's hands and ran out.

Sasuke looked around the roomMost of the students had already left. There were only six remaining in the class. It was almost his turn to leave and he was still undecided as to whether or not he would play the game. His life was extremely important to him. He had things he needed to do before he could allow himself to die. He just couldn't afford to die here. But he also didn't want to kill any innocent classmates. That was just...well, it was evil. And he was definitely not evil. No way. He knew what evil was and he was nothing like it. He would never be evil. Not like...him.

"Student# 17- Sakon." Another of the Sound Four. He smirked a bit as he walked to the front. It was obvious he was playing the game. Before he left, Sakon looked back, right at Sasuke. He licked his lips while looking the raven haired student up and down in a seductive way. Sasuke raised his eyebrow in annoyance. As if it weren't bad enough that he had girls all over him, now there was a guy who seemed to be attracted to him. Sakon grinned once more at Sasuke and left. Another tense two minutes passed before the next student to leave was announced."Student # 18- Tayuya." The last of Sound Four and the only female member of the gang. She was known for two things: her ruthlessness in a fight and her dirty mouth. She was absolutely playing the game. She was the type who would kill her own family if it was to her advantage. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. If she crossed his path he would have no problem killing her. Killing a person like her would be like practice for him anyway. Tayuya grabbed her bag and left the classroom. Sasuke hoped she didn't find Sakura out there. It was still four more minutes until it was his turn to go out. Two minutes passed even slower than before for Sasuke. He was worried abut Sakura. After all, she had been alone out there for so long. Anything could have happened. **"**Student #19- Tenten." She slowly got up and lowered her eyes as she walked to the front. Tenten had always been really nice to everyone. She was a tomboy and hung out with mostly guys. She was usually seen with Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee, playing sports or training. She was the sort of person that no one had a problem with, not even Sound Four, who had a problem with everyone. Of course that wouldn't stop any of the gang members from killing her. Sasuke hoped she was able to hold her own out there. When Tenten left, Sasuke couldn't help but stare at the clock. "Can't wait to start the game, Sasuke-kun?" His attention abruptly switched from the clock to Orochimaru, who had an infuriating grin on his face. "And I thought Kimimaro-kun was ready to play. You seem very excited." The young Uchiha didn't even bother to reply. But he couldn't help but notice the horrified way Ino was staring at him. She actually thought he wanted to kill his classmates! When she realized he was staring at her, she quickly looked down at her desk, beads of sweat dripping down her face.

Sasuke looked back at the clock. It was almost time. During the last five seconds of his wait, his thoughts became extremely conflicted. He wanted time to speed up and slow down at the same time. He wanted to stay in this room forever because that meant he wouldn't have to go out and kill any of his classmates in cold blood. But he wanted time to speed up so he could make sure Sakura was alright. 3 seconds...2 seconds...1 second..."Student # 21- Uchiha Sasuke." Taking a deep breath, Sasuke stood up and went to the front of the class. Orochimaru gave him his bag and smiled. "Good luck." The onyx- eyed student glared at the pale man and snatched his bag. Making sure not to walk too fast or too slow, Sasuke left the room without a backward glance. Ino would probably be even more certain he was a killer because he left that way, but it didn't matter. The chances of seeing her again were very slim.

Naruto stared at Sasuke's retreating form, wondering what was going on in the Uchiha's head. Was he going to kill his friends? Wait...did he even have any friends? Was Sasuke close with anyone in the class? Naruto wasn't sure. He only paid attention to Sasuke because he considered him a rival. It seemed that Sasuke was everything he himself wasn't. He was one of the smartest people in their entire grade, not just the class, he was an excellent ninja, he was extremely good looking, and he had a dark, appealing attitude. Naruto had promised himself a long time ago that he wouldn't lose to Sasuke in anything, but so far he had yet to actually beat the Uchiha genius in anything.

"Student# 22- Uzumaki Naruto." The blond boy jumped in his seat when his name was called? Two minutes had passed already? He walked to the front, staring at the floor. Was he really going to die here? There were so many things he hadn't done! He hadn't gotten better grades than Sasuke yet, he hadn't beaten Neji ina fightyet, he hadn't told Sakura-chan how he felt about her, he hadn't handed in his english project that was due three weeks ago! He couldn't die here! He had so much to accomplish! Then again, if he was the sole winner, most of his goals wouldn't be accomplished anyway. He took a bag from Orochimaru and walked out of the classroom.

Ino stared at Orochimaru, terrified to be alone in the class with him.He grinned at her, appearing to know what she was feeling. **_Two whole minutes alone with him? What if he kills me right here and now? At first I was glad to be last but now I wish I had already left!_** Wanting to look at anything but the man in front of her, Ino stared at the clock. The seconds ticked by so slowly, she thought she was going to die from waiting. Finally, two minutes had passed.

"Student # 23- Yamanaka Ino." She leaped out of her seat and reached for the bag Orochimaru was holding. He smirked and held it high out of her reach. Ino's blue eyes widened and she stepped back. All she could do was stare at the terrifying figure in front of her. Eventually he gave her the bag and she ran full speed out the door.

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**So...? What do you think? Who's going to live? Who's going to die?** **I really want feedback, even if it's criticism. If there's something you think I should or shouldn't do, then please let me know! I always like to know when I'm doing something wrong. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint anyone...I would be crushed if it did. Anyway, please read and review!**


	3. CH 3

**xx-Tsumi-Chan-xx: Well, I hope you remember that the rules of the game state that there's only supposed to be one winner...of course, I know there was more than one "winner" in the book and movie, but this is my version of it. I'm sorry, but I can't make any guarantees that�Team 7 will survive.� I hope you keep reading anyway! I don't want to lose a precious reviewer!**

**xiccibanx: Thank you for your wonderful comments! Now if I only knew what the word diegesis meant...I'm not a smart person! You can't use big words on me! I don't know what they mean!**

**Full Metal Turtle: Ummm...see..I would give you� a nice long reply to your review...if I knew what you mean by it..are you saying my story is predicatble because you've seen the movie? If so, then I can't help but disagree. Yes, the first 3 killings were the same as the book, but that's where it ends. The rest of the kills in my story will come right from my imagination. And I won't leave the same amount of people alive in my story as the books did. I don't want to lose a reviewer, but if you don't want to read this because it's too predictable for you then by all means, don't. **

**Asuka: LOL! I'm so happy that you like my story! However, I can't guarantee that Tenten won't die. I'm sorry! I hope that doesn't upset you too much! If I was planning to kill Tenten, (and I'm not saying I won't and I'm not saying I am) then I would definitely feel really bad about it since she's my favorite female character in the series! But this is a tragedy fic and I did warn everyone in the first chapter that there will be character deaths. I can't help it! I love reading depressing fics! And I love writing them as well! I hope you continue to read and enjoy, even if some characters that you like die!**

**Ch. 3**

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Sasuke ran out the front door of the school and looked around for any signs of a fight. He found none but it did nothing to ease his mind. Taking a deep breath, he whistled three times and waited, not daring to move. There was a sound of rustling bushes to his left and he spun aroundready for anything. Fortunately, he saw a flash of pink hair and relaxed. It was only Sakura. She ran out of the bushes and stumbled towards him. "Sasuke-kun! It's you! I was so scared it was someone else!" Sasuke didn't really know what to say to that so he just nodded.

"We need to leave. Staying in one place for too long is dangerous. Especially here. Anyone could be in the bushes, waiting for the perfect time to attack." Sakura looked scandalized.

"Y-you mean...some of our classmates will actually play this horrible game?"

"Of course. Sound Four most definitely are playing. But I'm not really worried about them. Everyone knows we can't trust them. It's the other classmates that I'm worried about. Maybe the people we think we can trust will betray us. In a desperate situation like this, who knows what the other students are thinking."

Just then, there was a noise behind them and Sasuke turned around. He saw a flash of orange and something heavy collided with him, sending him crashing to the ground. He immediately aimed a punch at whatever it was that attacked him, sending it flying against a tree. "Sasuke, no!" he heard Sakura cry out.

"You bastard!" a very familiar, very annoying voice yelled. Sasuke got to his feet and looked at Naruto, holding his stomach. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" Sasuke continued to glare at him and an alarming thought came to the blond's mind. "You're participating in this thing aren't you? I knew it! I knew you couldn't be trusted!" he made a few quick hand seals. "_Kage Bunshin no Justu_!"

"I don't have time to play around, _dobe_."he looked at Sakura and gestured for her to follow him. "Good luck trying to hide yourself in those bright orange clothes." Naruto just stared at his classmates' retreating forms. **_So Sasuke's not playing this game? He's actually going to protect Sakura?_ _But what if he's just taking his time, waiting to kill Sakura-chan? I can't let that happen! I have to keep an eye on him! _**

"Wait!" he ran to catch up with the pair. **"**Wait! Wait for me!" Sakura stopped and looked back at Naruto. " Sakura-chan, you shouldn't trust this guy so easily! What if he's only waiting to kill you? I don't understand why he's being so nice to you all of a sudden. Don't you think it's weird? He never used to like you, he used to ignore you, and now he's helping you? That's so strange! I'mgoing to stay with you and keep an eye on him." Sasuke looked at him, thoroughly annoyed.

"You're a moron." was all that he said before turning around and continuing to walk away. When he realized that neither Sakura nor Naruto was following him, he stopped. "I suggest we move out of this area quickly. Everyone probably already knows where we are because of Naruto's screaming. If you two want to stay here and wait for someone to kill you, then fine. But I'm leaving." Sakura didn't hesitate. She ran to Sasuke and walked away with him. Naruto sighed and reluctantly followed. **_Great. Now I have to stay with this bastard for who knows how long. _**"Oh, and Naruto," the blond ninja looked at Sasukewondering whathis rival would say. "You better be quiet." Naruto scowledand grudgingly continued to follow Sasuke.

Tenten quietly sat in a high tree branch, trying to catch her breath after running non stop since she left the school. She had no idea how long she had been running, but it seemed like forever. So far she hadn't encountered anyone, but who knew how long that would last. She was bound to come across someone withing the two day time limit. **_What will I do if I see someone? Should I assume they're an enemy and attack first, or should I talk to them, see if they're someone I can trust? But what if I trust someone and they end up killing me? This is so confusing!_** She sighed and opened up the bag Orochimaru had given her. After pulling out three bottles of water, four rice balls, a map and compass and a flashlight, she felt around for the weapon that she had been supplied with. Her hazel eyes widened as she pulled out...

A fork.

**_A fork? What the...how the hell am I supposed to fight with a fork? _**She clenched her teeth angrily. **_I don't even have any of my own kunai or shuriken either! That damn Orochimaru took away everyone's original weapons so we can only use the ones he supplied us with. _**Tenten sighed again and leaned her head on the trunk of the tree. She couldn't us any of her techniques because her scrolls had been taken away as well. She would have to rely completely on her _taijutsu. _Luckily, she had spent countless hours training with Lee and Neji, so she was fairly confident in her _taijutsu _skills. But she wasn't stupid. She knew there were stronger ninjas out there. Ninjas who wouldn't even need a supplied weapon to kill someone because they were their own weapon. **_Ninjas like Neji..._**If it came down to a fight between her and Neji, she knew she would lose. If she had to fight Lee she would lose too. Tenten fervently hoped Neji wasn't participating. He had so many advantages over just about everyone. He had the _Byakugan _so he could spot a classmate from a long distance. He would be able to see if anyone was trying to attack him from behind. He could hide himself extremely well. No one had a chance against Neji.

A rustling sound below her startled her from her thoughts. Carefully, and making sure not to move too much, she looked down. Her breath caught in her throat. It was Neji!She thought of a million different ways to escape her current situation, but she knew none of them would work. If she moved he would see her and that would be it. But maybe, by some stroke of luck, he didn't know she was there! Then she could just wait until he left and move to another location.

"Tenten." Neji's quiet voice was loud in her ears.**_ Kuso! He knows I'm here! What am I going to do?_ _I can't give him time to attack me. I have to attack first or he'll kill me._** Taking a deep breath she jumped out of the tree, keeping her fork hidden behind her back. He stared at her, his face terrifyingly expressionless. Without a word, Tenten ran at him, fork in hand. In anyone else's hands, a fork would have been a useless weapon. But Tenten wasn't a weapons specialist for nothing. Anything with a sharp point was deadly in her hands. She leaped in the air and pointed her fork at Neji's face. She felt a huge amount of guilt for attacking one of her friends in such a way, but she knew if she gave him time to speak he would end up killing her before she even knew what happened. The fork was almost touching Neji's skin when Tenten's eyes widened. His stance... "_Hakkeshou Kaiten!"_ She was thrown back by the force of his ultimate defense, but she got back on her feet immediately. She had been hit with that technique so many times that she was almost used to it. Almost. She ran at him again, this time aiming a roundhouse kick at his head to knock him down. **_Am I really doing this? Am I really attacking Hyuuga Neji? Neji, the one I've been friends with since we were twelve? _**He ducked right before her leg hit him and grabbed her ankle. She used his close proximity to grip the fork tightly and stab his neck. Neji used his other hand to grab her wrist and spun her around. The next thing she knew, she was on her knees in the grass, Neji behind her and the fork pressed against the back of her neck. She waited for it. Waited for the moment when she would feel the points of the fork pierce her skin. She waited.

And waited...

And waited some more...

When she finally couldn't take it anymore, she turned her head to look at Neji through the corner of her eye. He was still behind her, just staring at her.

"If you're going to kill me, then do it now and get it over with!" she snarled.

"You know what I've learned after all these years of being friends with you?" **_What? That you hate me? That I'm weaker than you thought I was? That you never liked me anyway? That you have no qualms about killing me right here and now?_** "I learned that sometimes you really are an idiot." **_Huh?_** He let her go and backed away. She jumped to her feet and turned around to see him twirling her fork between his fingers. "This is your weapon?"

"Yeah."

"Did you really think I was going to kill you?"

"What?"

"You're impossible. I came here to see if you were alright, not to kill you. I'm not going to kill off my classmates, despite the fact that you think I am." Tenten just stared at him.

"Then..."

"If I'd really wanted to kill you I could have snuck up behind you and done it." he shook his head at her. "_Baka_." A huge, relieved smile made it's way onto Tenten's face.

"I'm so sorry! I really thought you were going to play this sickening game!" She let out a deep breath and ran up to Neji, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She felt him tense up. His arms stayed at his sides, but she didn't expect that he would hug her back anyway. She was just so glad to find out he wasn't as cold and heartless as she had previously thought

"We should move. Someone might have heard our fight." Tenten nodded and jumped back up on the branch she had been sitting on to collect her bag. She jumped back down to the ground and looked at Neji.

"Alright, let's go. I think we should find Lee. I doubt that he'll kill anyone."

"It's comforting that you have so much faith in your friends." he commented dryly. Tenten laughed apologetically, her cheeks reddening a bit.

"I'm sorry Neji, but Lee's...and you're..." she didn't want to tell him any more than that for fear of insulting him. They walked in silence for a little while, each thinking their own thoughts.

"Tenten..." Neji said softly.

"What?"

"How are you planning to defend yourself properly with a fork?" Tenten sighed.

"I have no idea." The Hyuuga prodigy kneeled down on the grass, searching through his bag for something. **"**What are you looking for?"He didn't answer, just continued to look through his bag. When he finally found what he was looking for, he pulled it out. It was a kodachi. Neji's supplied weapon was actually a kodachi!

"You need this much more than I do. Besides, you're much better with an edge weapon than I am." Tenten nearly fainted. Was this...was this actually a compliment from Neji? Was she hearing things? Had he actually praised her abilities?

"_A-arigato_."he handed her the kodachi and got to his feet. She stuck the kodachi in the waistband of her pants and they continued walking. After a while, Tenten felt the urge to ask Neji something that had been bothering her for a while. "Neji?"

"Yes?" she looked down at the ground.

"Who do you think is going to kill?" He didn't answer right away, which meant he was seriously thinking about it.

"Sound Four, definitely. Probably that Kaguyo guy. I'm sure Zaku will as well. Possibly Gaara. Nara Shikamaru-"

"Nara Shikamaru? No way! How could you think that?"

"He's smart. Even if he doesn't want to kill anyone, he will anyway. It's kill or be killed and I'm sure no one wants to die here."

"So you're saying that everyone will kill. Even you." He looked at her and she stared right back. "If it came down to it, and we were the last two left. Would you kill me?" He was silent for a long time.

"I don't know."

"But there's a possibility that you would."

"Of course. But let me ask you the same question. If we were the last students still alive would you kill me? And don't answer right away. Think about it. Be honest with yourself. Would you kill me if your life depended on it?" She stayed silent. "Suddenly it's not so easy to answer, is it? Or rather, it's easy to answer, but the difficult part is admitting it to yourself. Because of course you would kill me in order to survive. It's only natural." He was right. She knew he was right.

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**And thats the end of chapter 3...betcha you all thought Neji was gonna kill her..heehee. i hope that you all review! i live for reviews!**


	4. CH 4

**hi everyone! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but my grandma is staying at my house until she recovers from pneumonia and it's been pretty hectic around here. So don't think that I'm just gonna abandon this fic! No way! In other news, I got so many reviews! ;; thank you so much everyone! I feel so appreciated! It's going to take up a lot of space in this chapter, but I'm going to reply to each and every one of you that reviewed my story, just to show you how much I appreciate all of you taking the time to make my day with your comments!**

**xx-Tsumi-Chan-xx: I don't want any of them to die either, and everytime I plan who I'm going to kill, I feel guilty. But hey. This fic is a challenge that way and I like that. And don't worry about the other jounin senseis...they'll be appearing soon. Thanks for reviewing again and I'm glad you like the story! **

**FireDragonBL: you would flame my ass off::gasp: Well, it's a good thing he didn't kill her...I can't guarantee that Neji won't kill Tenten in the future though...heehee. Are you gonna flame me if I kill them off later on? Please don't! I hate flames! And thank you so much for reviewing!**

**Ponko: LEE::sobs: He's one of my favorites! But you're absolutely right. The chances of him surviving are quite slim. I'm so happy that you'll continue to read my story even if your favorite characters are killed! Thank you for saying that and for taking the time to review! I hope you like this chapter!**

**kawaiineziumi: well, technically, I've already killed off 3 people, so you already know who I killed first. But I suppose you mean who I'm gonna kill first in the game, right? Well, in that case, there's no need to ask that anymore! This chapter has the first official death by a student's hands in the story. I hope you enjoy and I hope the killer is not who you expect!**

**Jaydyn: Yeah, when I was first planning out what was going to happen, I thought about doing the whole "couples come together and defeat the bad guy" thing. But then I decided that would really suck. And then my story wouldn't have as much tragedy in it if all the couples were to survive. And I really want this story to be just as sad and tragic as the book was. And that book...man. Some parts made me cry, I mean, it was so sad and- :clears throat: anyway, just know that the couples will not all band together. And I hope you like this chapter!**

**Son of Darkness: as usual, your review brought a HUGE smile to my face. Yeah, I tried not to rush things too much because none of my stories come out very well if I do that and I really wanted this to come out great. And thank you for complimenting my writing skills. And yeah...the Sand ninjas and the Sound 4 are definitely gonna be tough ninajs to beat...and yes, alliances will be made but maybe not with who you think...Thanks again for reviewing! I hope you review again!**

**fallenangel: I don't know...like I said to other reviewers.. I can't guarantee that I won't kill them off. Yes, I know Sasuke is one of the main characters, but that doesn't mean I won't end up killing him anyway. I want to keep all my readers guessing as to who will die and who will live. Please don't be mad if they die! And thanks for reviewing!**

**TimeShifter: yeah, that's a question that one of my friends asked when he read this story. The answer is no. I mean, wouldn't that be really boring and unfair if students like Naruto and Gaara can just use their own techniques to take off the collars? I'm sorry, but everyone's collar stays on. I'll probably explain more about the collars in future chapters just so there's no more confusion about that. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you continue to review! I also hope you don't get bored with this story!**

**Oodles: Yeah, that would be cool, wouldn't it? I was actually thinking of doing that...but I havent decided yet. It would be really angsty and I love angst! I'l keep your suggestion in mind, though. Thanks for taking the time out to review! I really really appreciate it! Enjoy this new chapter!**

**Punk sasuke: cool name! And I will definitely keep going! And I'm glad you love this story! I hope you continue to love it! Thanks for the review!**

**Xoni Newcomer: Hmmm...Neji and Sakura as the only survivors? I dunno about that...Good guess though. Keep reading and you'll find out (eventually) who survives! And btw..I like your username! It's really interesting! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!**

**angelgurl079: LOL! Yes, making you wait at the edge of your seat was my intention all along! MUAHAHAHAAHAHA! Well, I hope that at least some of the suspense disipates with this new chapter! Enjoy! And thanks for reviewing!**

**Asuka: WOOHOO! I updated again! Read, enjoy and then review! And yeah...when I saw your review was for chapter one I was like 0o but then I figured you meant chapter 3 lol. Thanks for reviewing!**

**LazyIam: LOL! your name reminds me of Shikamaru! Wow! I didn't think I could get anyone hooked on my story from just the summary! And yeah, the idea of the whole Battle Royale thing is pretty terrifying. I always wonder what would I do if I was in their shoes, you know? It's a scary thought. But anyways, thanks for reviewing and I hope you actually read my story! If you did, and you like it, I hope you continue to review! **

**FireDragonBL: I'm glad you felt like reviewing again coz I felt like getting reviews again! heehee! Are you sure Neji and Tenten wouldn't kill each other? I dunno...I'm a little torn between that...on one hand, I think they would, but on another hand, I don't think they would. We'll just have to wait and see. And Lee? Well, Lee would kill if someone important to him was in danger...like Sakura, perhaps? In any case, I'm not giving away anything! You gotta read to find out! Thanks for reviewing!**

**phew... :wipes sweat off brow: I'm finally done with all the reviews! On to the story!**

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**Ch. 4**

They walked in silence for about an hour, both of them on the lookout for an potential enemies. Neji spotted a clearing, hidden by bushes, and led Tenten into it. "We should stop here for a moment."

"Why?" It was surprising that Neji wanted to stop. He had so much stamina. Surely he didn't need a rest?

"Because you should rest."

"I'm fine." she replied, ready to keep going. "Besides, a clearing isn't exactly the best hiding spot, is it?" She looked at Neji, his back to her. He tilted his head slightly to the right and to her utter shock, Neji's cheeks were slightly red. "Neji...are you embarrassed about something?"

"No." he said, just a little too forcefully.

"Why did you really want to come here?"

"I need to take care of something."

"Of what?" Tenten was seriously mystified at the Hyuuga's behavior. He never acted like this.

"I need to relieve myself."

"Huh?"

"Must I spell everything out?" he asked, annoyed.

"I don't- Oh! I see. Well why didn't you just say you had to go to the bathroom?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you. Just wait here. I'll be right back." If his footsteps weren't so quiet, one could say he stomped into the trees. With a shrug, Tenten sat in the center of the clearing, looking up at the sky. She was lucky. Of all people to have at her side she had Neji. That meant she would stay alive till the very end. Or until Neji decided she was expendable and killed her. Which would make him the winner. She was sure no one could kill him. He was too much of a genius.

A sound to her left brought Tenten back to earth. She looked around and her eyes settled on Abumi Zaku. A sadistically grinning Abumi Zaku. "Zaku! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for a safe place to hide. You?"

"Waiting for Neji to finish peeing." he laughed.

"Sure. I bet Hyuuga's going to stick around with a weak, pathetic loser like you. You're all alone here and you know it." The weapon's specialist narrowed her eyes. **_How dare that son of a bitch call me weak and pathetic?_** She quickly got to her feet, ready for a fight.

"Well? If you're planning to kill me then do it already, coward." he snarled at her and held his arms out, preparing to attack.

"_Zankuuha!_" What seemed to be a gust of air shot out of his palms heading straight for her. Tenten knew this would be tough without her scrolls, but she was confident. She leaped out of the way seconds before what were actually sound waves, hit her. She took the fork out of her pocket and held it up, pretending it was her only weapon to force him to underestimate her. Not that he didn't already, but underestimating her even more couldn't hurt. Just as she predicted, he smirked.

"A fork? Is that all you have to fight with?"

"If they had given me a toothpick it still would have been enough for me to beat you!" she yelled. Using the surrounding trees to her advantage, she quickly jumped into the branches and leaped through the trees until she was situated behind him. She could see him looking around for her.

"Running away? Now who's the coward?" Tenten smirked. He had no clue where she was. Making a point to be a s quiet as possible, she jumped out of the trees and silently approached his back. She reached behind her for the kodachi and...

Stopped. **_What are you doing? This is Abumi Zaku, a classmate! How could you think about killing a classmate?_** **_Even if he's trying to kill you, it's just wrong! How could I-_** Her thoughts were cut off by a burst of sound waves hitting her square in the stomach. She flew backwards and landed on her back in the grass.

"Did you really think I didn't know where you were?" I was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike." he grinned at her as he walked closer. Tenten lifted her upper body into a sitting position, her abdomen in serious pain after that attack. Zaku stopped just inches away from her. "I always knew you were an idiot. Oh well. Now you can die." He held his palms out and it was then that something clicked inside Tenten's mind. **_No. I won't be killed here! Not by him, not by anyone! _**All rational thoughts left her mind, replaced only with one word. **_Survive._** In one fluid motion, she unsheathed her kodachi and lashed out, not even conscious of the blood splashing onto her face and clothes. She wasn't conscious of Zaku's screams as he realized she had chopped off both his hands. Her right leg flew up, hitting her enemy in the chin, sending him hurtling through the air. Tenten immediately got up and began hitting him with a series of kicks and punches that she learned from Lee. Left roundhouse kick, right cross, jump kick, left hook, knee to the groin, elbow to the stomach, backflip kick. She gathered all her strength and with a yell of fury, she used her right fist to punch him harder than she had ever punched anyone in her life. He slammed against a tree and lay still. Calmly, Tenten picked up the kodachi from the ground where she had dropped it and walked up to Zaku. He couldn't even move after all her high powered attacks. She stared at him, her normally warm brown eyes now cold. She held up the kodachi and thrust it down, piercing his heart. Zaku grunted in pain as she twisted the blade mercilessly and ripped it out. It was then, that the enemy was eliminated, that Tenten's mind cleared and she was herself again. She could only stare in horror at Zaku's dead body, Zaku, the classmate she had killed. (Student # 1- Abumi Zaku...DEAD) With a choked sob, she fell to her knees, the bloody kodachi falling out of her hands.

That was how Neji found her when he finally came back. Her whole body was shaking with barely held back sobs. He took in the whole scene, instantly able to surmise what happened. "Tenten." she didn't even look up. "Are you hurt?" She shook her head. Neji sighed slightly and walked over to her, pulling her to her feet. Tears streamed down her face.

"I killed him. He attacked me and I killed him. A classmate, I killed a classmate."

"Tenten, listen to me. You did what you had to in order to survive. That's the only thing you can do in this situation. You did nothing wrong. He attacked you first, correct?" She nodded. "He attacked you with the intent to kill. You were only defending yourself. Now get a hold of yourself. We have to go and find Lee. Don't think about students that are dead. Think about the students still living."

"_H-hai."_ She took a deep breath and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Neji was right, as usual. They didn't have time to mourn the dead when there were friends that were still alive.

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**So...what did you think? Zaku's dead! And Tenten killed him! How many of you expected her to kill someone? Answer that question honestly in your next review please!** **I want to get twice as many reviews for this chapter as I did for the last one!**


	5. CH 5

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait, but this chapter just did not want to get written! Jeez! But I fianlly got off my ass and wrote it, even though it was very troublesome. But whatever. It's that time again...time to thank the reviewers!**

**i-dream-of-blue-eyes: LOL! Yeah, go Tenten! WOOHOO! I'm so glad you think my story's great! And no, you didn't review for any of the other chapters...and I hope that you'll make reviewing my story a habit...And Neji/Ten is my favorite couple too! I'm so disappointed though cpz there really aren't many awesome Neji/Ten fics out there that are multi-chapters. Almost all the good ones are one-shots. Hopefully someone will post an awesome Neji/Ten mutlichapter one of these days...maybe it'll even be me since I have one in the works that I havent posted yet. Anyway, thanks for taking time out to review! I really appreciate it!**

**xx-Tsumi-Chan-xx: WOOHOO! You didn't expect that! I'm glad I surprised someone. And I don't want Team 7 to die either, but now that I've thought about where I want to go with this fic, the chance of any of the teams being whole at the end is very slim, near impossible. I hope that doesn't stop you from reading though! Thanks so much for reviewing, even more because you're a regular reviewer of this story! And I know that Team 7 hasn't really been featured in quite a while, but I promise the next chapter will have some more of them. **

**Punk Sasuke: I can't believe you expected Tenten to kill someone! Damn! Well, it's too bad that I'm too poor to afford any prizes, coz I'd definitely give you one. You know, whenever I see your name I can't help but picture Sasuke with an earring, a pair of slughtly baggy black pants, converse sneakers and a screened tee while holding a guitar. LOL! Review more so I can picture that in my head on a more regular basis, ok? lol**

**angelgurl079: Yay! You were surprised! Actaully, I was thinking of doing that, having Neji save her, just to improve their dynamic and speed up the romance bit, but I figured that would be the obvious way to go. I hope I haven't kept you in suspense too long! Thanks for reviewing! It's always appreciated!**

**Asuka: You love this story? Wow! Thank you so much! And thank you so much for reviewing again!**

**wyldcat: and here I thought that having Tenten kill someone would be surprising...damn! And yeah, Neji sure did take a looooooooooooooooong piss! I guess he had been holding it in for some time, huh? LOL! And it's a good thing you have no clue who's gonna be the last one left oir I would just have to give up writing for good. But honestly? I can't tell you if you're close or not coz I haven't even decided who's gonna be left yet. That way, it's a surprise for me too! Anyway, thanks for the kind review! **

**Ijust want to** **thank everyone who read and didn't review. Hopefully you anonymous readers will review at least once before I finish this story, which won't be for a little while. Enjoy this new chapter!**

**

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****Ch. 5**

Nara Shikamaru sat on the floor of the abandoned cabin, staring at the clouds. Such a nice day...Too bad he was going to die. And Shikamaru was sure he was going to die. There were just too many strong ninjas out there. Sure he was intelligent, but he was lazy and his techniques didn't do that much damage. He sighed. **_Mendo kuse...why did this have to happen to me? All I wanted was a fun life as a ninja, marry an average woman, have two kids-a boy and a girl. Retire when my son has a good career and my daughter is married, and die of natural causes before my wife. Life sure doesn't work out the way you want it to._**

Shikamaru studied the map in front of him. They were on a small island south of Fire Country. Apparently the island had been evacuated for this game because the food was still fresh. It looked like the inhabitants had just left one day without even taking any personal belongings. **_Left...or were killed._** In any case, Shikamaru was sure he could spend the entire two days hiding out in the cabin where he was. He had set up a few traps, not to kill anyone, but to trap them if they got too close. He had no intention of killing anyone. Well, maybe Sound Four if he came across them. But if any of his friends came along, he wouldn't kill them. He couldn't. There was just no way.

A snap and a surprised yelp broke Shikamaru out of his thoughts. Grabbing the crossbow he had been supplied with, he cautiously walked outside to the trap he had set up. What he saw almost made him burst out laughing. Ino was trapped in the hanging net, her legs sprawled in awkward positions near the top and her head was being smushed by the rest of her body. "Ino, what are you doing here?"

"Shikamaru? Oh Shikamaru, thank goodness! When I got caught in this trap I thought I was going to die! Can you let me down?"

"Why should I? How do I know you're not planning to kill me?" Ino looked ready to burst into tears.

"How could you say that? I don't want to kill anyone!" Tears started pouring down her face and Shikamaru winced.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry...women are so troublesome.." he climbed up the tree that the trap was attached to and untied the net that Ino was in, causing her to fall to the ground. She immediately got to her feet and pulled Shikamaru into a crushing hug. "Hey, Ino.." he gasped out. "Let me go! You're crushing me!"

"Oh Shikamaru! I'm so glad you didn't kill me! I'm so glad you trust me! I thought I was going to die!" she sobbed, getting Shikamaru' shirt wet from her tears.

"Well, I guess I have to protect you now." he sighed and Ino glared at him furiously.

"You guess? You guess! You better protect me, Shikamaru, or I'll kick your ass!" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and sighed. He hated it when she got all bossy with him. Which was basically all the time.

"Come on, someone might have heard your squealing." he began to forcefully push her in while she complained that she did not squeal. Once they were safely inside, Shikamaru went back to his cloud watching. He was just beginning to relax when he was startled out of his thoughts.

"Are you just going to stare at th clouds all day or are you going to talk to me?" Ino demanded.

"Why should I talk to you? You're only going to tell me how lazy I am and how much better Sasuke is than I am. Then you'll go on and on for hours about how silky his hair is, though you've never touched it, and how smooth and manly his voice is, though he's never actually spoken to you." The blond kunoichi's jaw dropped in shock. How could he possibly know everything she had been planning to say?

"N-no! You're wrong! I wasn't going to say that at all! Shows how much you know." he eyed her skeptically.

"Oh? Then what were you going to say?"

"I...well, I was...I was going to tell you that...that I think you have a good chance at winning here because no one really knows how strong you actually are." Shikamaru's eyes widened and Ino looked away. **_Did I actually say that to him? Oh my god, I actually complimented Shikamaru! How is that even possible?_** Ino's cheeks reddened and Shikamaru sighed.

"Nah. I'm definitely going to die. This game is too troublesome to participate in."

"Too troublesome? This is your life! Are you saying it's too troublesome to live?"

"No. There are just too many people who are going to kill that the chances of someone like me, a person who has no intentions of killing anyone, surviving are very slim. Too slim for me to bother." Ino gritted her teeth.

"How did I manage to get stuck with a lazy bum like you, who can't even be bothered with saving his own life?" she yelled. He shrugged noncommittally. That was the last straw for Ino. She huffed and went to the door.

"Where are you going?" Shikamaru asked.

"To find Sasuke-kun. I'm sure he won't be too lazy to protect me."

"Wait, Ino!" **_Did I just voluntarily ask Ino to wait? Do I actually want that loud-mouthed, bossy, Sasuke-obsessed, troublesome kunoichi to stay with me? I must be out of my mind._** She turned around and looked at Shikamaru with a strange expression. "Don't go." Ino was shocked. Her mind was reeling.

**_Does he actually want me to stay? Could it be that he..._** "Why shouldn't I leave?"

"Because it's dangerous out there." **_Does Shikamaru like me?_** "And if you go outside, I'll have to go after you because you're a girl and I don't feel like getting up."

"ARGH! Why didn't I accidentally stumble on Sasuke-kun's hideout? Why did I have to get stuck with you of all people! Even being with Chouji wouldn't be this bad!" she whined, but took a seat on the floor next to him. "I'll stay. But from now on, you have to do what I tell you." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. It was pointless to even try arguing with Ino.

"_Hai, hai._" **_Why do I even bother to get along with her? She just enjoys bossing me around. How annoying. But the most annoying thing is when she talks about Sasuke. At least I don't think she'll start that now. Even when her life is in danger, all she can think of Sasuke. What's so good about him anyway? Okay, so he's good-looking, and he excels at everything. So what? He's a bastard who has no friends. Why does she like him so much?_**

****

Inuzuka Kiba ran through the trees. He had picked up Hinata's scent not too long ago and was hoping to find her. He knew she would be defenseless and would need someone's help to survive. He only hoped it wasn't too late to find her. He'd also picked up the scent of another ninja, but he didn't recognize who it belonged to. Which could mean one of two things. That it wasn't the scent of a ninja at all and it was just the scent of one of the former inhabitants of the island. This possibility wasn't very likely seeing as the scent was fairly strong. The other option was that it was the scent of one of the new students, the three from the desert. **_I hope Hinata's alright..._** He thought. **_I hope I'm not too late._**

The worst thing was that he didn't even have Akamaru with him. That bastard Orochimaru must have hidden him somewhere. They weren't allowed to use any weapons other than their ninja techniques and the weapons that they got in their bags. The first thing he had done when he left the school was check out his weapon. It was a handaxe. Not too bad. At least it was something he could use. **_I wonder what sort of weapon Hinata has...I hope it's something useful..._**

Kiba was so distracted, he didn't notice the trap until it was too late. The exploding notes that had been carefully hidden on the tree trunk blew up, pitching the ninja into the air. He hit the ground with a dull thud, unable to get up for a moment. After lying in the grass for s few seconds, Kiba pushed himself up on his feet, inspecting his body to see how injured he was. Discovering that he was bleeding from a few places, he turned around to pick up his bag and came face to face with Aburame Shino.

"Shino!"

"Kiba."

"Why were you being so quiet? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" he yelled at his silent classmate.

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you." It was then that Kiba noticed the pair of sais in Shino's hands. Swallowing nervously, he picked up his bag.

"Well, I'll just be on my way then. Good luck Shino." He hadn't even taken one step when something plopped onto his shoulder. He looked at the centipede that was crawling down his shirt and slowly turned his head to look at Shino. The other ninja was staring at him, his expression unreadable.

"Don't bother to fight me, Kiba. You of all people know that I can defeat you very easily."

"W-what are you talking about?" Kiba asked, not willing to believe that his classmate and friend would want to kill him.

"If I don't kill, then I'll die. I'm not willing to die for anyone here." He brought the two sais up in an attack position.

"Shino, don't do this!" But his words fell on deaf ears as Shino ran to attack. Kiba hurriedly unzipped his jacket and took out the handaxe he had hidden in the waistband of his pants and held it up. "Shino, you don't have to kill anyone! We can figure a way out of here!" But the other ninja didn't bother to reply as he slashed his sais downward to cut Kiba in half

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**Muahahahahahahahahah! How's that for a cliffhanger?What do you think's gonna happen? Who's gonna die? I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**


	6. CH 6

**Hi everyone! I'm back with yet another chapter for you to enjoy! I think this one was the longest chapter yet...it's also the saddest. I hope you all like it! And I just realizd I haven't put a disclaimer over here since chapter 1, so here it is:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, a fact that I lament about every night. If I did, I would not be here writing fancfictions, I would be in Konoha trying to make Neji fall in love with me while dodging sharp projectiles from a certain jealous kunoichi with two buns in her hair.**

**Punk sasuke: LOL! Kakashi as a punk? Hmmmm...interesting..anyway, I hope this chapter is to your liking! I worked soooooooooooooo hard on it! And yeah, I knew making Shino kill would be really shocking. Thanks for reviewing yet again!**

**wyldcat: You think Kiba's gonna die..hmmmm..is he? You gotta read to find out! And I'm sorry for the last chapter being short! I hope this extra long one makes up for it! Oh, and just for you: http/ Click on it and you'll see what sais are. ok? Thanks for the positive review! They're what keep me posting!**

**Juya: That's a pretty good idea you had there...but Shino doesn't have his regular bugs because all the students original weapons have been taken away, remember? And don't ask me how Orochimaru managed to take away Shino's bugd. he just did. LOL. Thank you so much for reviewing!**

**jemeighteen18: Yeah, even I'm nervous about who's gonna die and I'm the author! I'm glad my fic made you happy! And it's so nice to know that I have another new reader! I hope you keep reviewing! Thank you!**

**Julian Amici: Rofl! Your review made me laugh so much! And I definitely reccomend reading Battle Royale. The movie is awesome, but the book just totally blew me away. I hope this update was fast enough for you! And I really tried to make this chapter as perfect as possible, I hope I acheived what I wanted, but you tell me in another review if it was good enough! And I promise I'll be as gentle as I can with Kiba coz I love him too. He's great. Thank you so much for your review!**

**angelgurl079: LOL! are you on the edge of your seat? Here's an update to help you calm down! Thanks for reviewing again!**

**i-dream-of-blue-eyes: well, i never said Shino actually cut Kiba in half. I only said he brought down his sai like he was going to cut him in half. LOL. Is this soon enough for you? Thanks for reviewing again!**

**Ponko: Yes, bad Shino! He's been very bad, hasn't he? Trying to kill Kiba like that...And yeah, Shikamaru and Ino are alright...for now...I dunno about next chapter though..Yeah, if I were in this situation, I dont know what I would do. I'm not sure I would just give up on life though...but maybe he will find a way off the island..you never know..only I do! evil laugh enjoy this newest chapter, I think it's my best yet! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Asuka: Yeah, damn cliffhangers! Well, wonder no more! You'll find out who dies right now! Thank you so much fro your reviews! They really mean a lot to me!**

**moonlightpath: You thought she would commit suicide? Hmmmm...I can't really pictutre Tenten as the type to kill herself...and read on to find out if Kiba's dead! Thank you for the review!**

**00freak: Muahahahah! I love the fact that no one suspected Shino to kill anyone! Hehe! I'm glad that you love the story idea, but I seriouslt reccomed reading Battle Royale. It's really an amazing piece of fiction. It won't disappoint, that's for sure! I hope you continue to enjoy! And thank you very much for your review! I appreciate it!**

**And now, on with the story!**

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**Ch. 6**

At the last minute Kiba brought up his handaxe and blocked the movement of Shino's sais. But the bug-controlling ninja was quick and he brought the left sai up then down again, planning to stab Kiba in the stomach. It didn't work because Kiba was expecting a move like that and he kicked out with his right leg, sending Shino flying back. He slammed against a tree trunk and slumped into a sitting position. Kiba turned to leave when a sharp pain in his right leg forced him to stop. He looked down and saw, to his shock, a sai embedded in his right thigh. Angrily, he took it out and flung it on the ground. Shino got to his feet and the two ninjas just stared at each other.

Just as Kiba was about to make a move, he felt something on his foot. He looked down and to his horror, saw hundreds of bugs trying to crawl up his legs. He quickly backflipped to get away from them, but Shino was anticipating this and appeared right behind Kiba before he had a chance to land. The bespectacled ninja aimed a roundhouse kick at Kiba's face that connected viciously with his cheek. But he didn't stop there.As Kiba was falling to the ground he executed a series of powerful punches, slamming the dog ninja into the ground. He smirked as he gazed down at Kiba's unmoving body. Now that he was immobilized, all Shino had to do was stab him. Just as he was about to do just that, Kiba's body turned into a tree stump.** _Nani?_ _Kawarimi no Jutsu? He was able to use a replacement in that situation?_** But he didn't have too much time to think about it because Kiba appeared right in front of him and aimed a devastating uppercut at Shino's chin, sending the bug ninja flying. But that wasn't all Kiba did.

"_Gatsuuga!"_ He jumped into the air and his body began spinning violently, heading straight towards Shino. Kiba's attack hit, making Shinoplummet to the ground while he punched and clawed at him. His attack finishedKiba stood a few feet away from Shino's unmoving body, panting. He had won, but he didn't feel good about it. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to vomit right then and there. With a sigh, he turned around to leave when a foot came from out of nowhere and kicked him in the stomach.Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shino's body disappear in a puff of smoke to be replaced with a log.**_ Kawarimi no Jutsu...damn._ **Kiba landed face first on the ground, sliding through the dirt until he hit the base of a tree. He groaned in pain and started getting up when he felt a sharp pain in his back. Shino had stabbed him with a sai. He winced in pain and spit out blood, unable to believe he was going to die by his friend's hands. Shino viciously ripped out the sai, only to plunge it in Kiba's back again. He pulled it out again and Kiba knew he was going to deal the killing blow. But it never came.

Instead, he heard a yell and Shino's weight on his back was gone. He turned his head and saw something he never expected. Beating Shino into a pulp using _Jyuuken _was none other than Hinata. She hit him again and again, moving so fast that Shino was unable to get any hits in. He was still able to call on the bugs in the area, and Kiba saw a huge swarm of bugs headed straight for the female Hyuuga. "H-Hinata! Watch out for the bugs!" he called out. She made no indication that she heard him, other than moving behind Shino and attacking his back. With a little difficulty, Kibapushed himself on his feet,and stared at the fight in front of him. He'd never seen Hinata fight so ruthlessly and with such power before. Suddenly she stopped attacking, leaving Shino stumbling on his feet, trying to stand up straight. Hinata switched positions, her left hand extended, palm out, her right hand down hear her waist. "_Jyukenpo Hatsuke Soushyouha_**!" **she yelled before hitting Shino's chest with her palm, spinning around and hitting his arm, turning again until they were back to back and hitting his back, spinning again to hit his other arm and turning one last time till she was facing him. She gathered chakra in both her palms and slammed them into Shino's chest, watching as he flew backwards and landed on the ground. After taking a moment to catch her breath, Hinata ran over to Kiba and put his arm over her shoulder to help him stand. "A-are you okay, Kiba-kun?" she asked timidly, all traces of the powerful, fighting Hinata he had just seen vanished.

"Hinata...how did you...I've never seen you fight like that! When did you become so strong?"

"Oh..." her cheeks reddened a bit and she searched through her pockets for something. She took out a small pouch and opened it, allowing Kiba to see it's contents.

"Soldier pills!"

"_H-hai._They c-came in my bag. It's the only weapon I have. T-take one, Kiba-kun." He did, and as it crunched between his teeth, he saw Shino struggling to get to his feet. He spit blood and for a second, Kiba thought he would fall. But he stayed on his feet, slowly stumbling towards them. Kiba picked up the handaxe lying in the grass and readied himself for anything. Shino coughed, and blood spilled onto the ground, making Kiba wince. His organs were damaged. There was no way he could survive. After taking a few more forced steps, the injured ninja collapsed on the ground, motionless. (Student # 2- Aburame Shino...DEAD) Kiba turned away from his dead classmate and looked at Hinata.

"You know, I was looking for you to save you, and you ended up saving me." She blushed and looked down.

"_A-arigato_, Kiba-kun. B-but I think we should go."

"You're right. Let's go up in a tree. I have to take care of this." He pointed to his back where Hinata saw two large bloodstains on his jacket.

"Oh...I-I can help."

"_Arigato, _Hinata." They jumped into the trees and were gone.

It had only been about an hour and already Tayuya had chosen her first victims. She watched them, a silent shadow in the trees. How pathetic. They were completely unaware of her presence. She looked down at the flute in her hand and smirked. It was sheer luck that her supplied weapon had been a kunai. It wasn't that she enjoyed fighting with kunai, or that she was an expert with one. In fact, she never used kunais while fighting. She was lucky because she was able to use it to carve a wooden flute out of a branch.

Her eyes went back to her victims, the blonde one was laughing. Ha. She wouldn't be laughing once Tayuya got a hold of her. The dark-haired boy next to her was lying on his back, staring at the clouds, appearing to be ignoring the blonde completely.They were both so calm. It was mind boggling how they seemed to be so at ease when they could be killed at any moment. Maybe now it was time to break the calm atmosphere. Tayuya smiled as she lifted the wooden flute up to her lips. It would be fun to take out those two weaklings.

"How do you think Lee is doing?" Tenten asked Neji. It was nearing sunset and they still hadn't found any sign of Lee, even with Neji using his _Byakugan_

"I'm sure he's fine. He can take care of himself."

"I know but he'll be hesitant to fight anyone."

"How do you know?"

"Because...well...because it's Lee!" she was about to say something else when Neji put a hand over her mouth, silencing her. He stared into the trees in front of them and Tenten knew he saw something there. But then he took his hand away and kept walking, not telling her anything. She just shrugged and kept walking. But seconds later she felt a presence in the trees nearby. Neji was walking calmly, but his shoulders were slightly tenser than normal. That was a sign that he knew there was another ninja near them. There was a loud bang and Neji stopped walking. He just stood there, staring straight ahead. "Neji?" He looked down at his chest and it was then that Tenten noticed the spreading bloodstain on his shirt. "What happened?" There was another bang and Neji stumbled, falling to his knees and clutching his left arm. He gritted his teeth angrily and looked up as another loud bang sounded off.

"Get behind me!" he said to Tenten, pulling into a kneeling position behind him. About fifty meters in front of them, the hidden ninja made himself known by jumping out from the tree he had been in.

"How sweet, hiding her behind you." Jiroubou mocked, walking closer to them. He held up a small black object and pointed it at the two. Tenten recognized it as a handgun. She was furious. How dare he use a gun against them? He was supposed to be a ninja! No self-respecting ninja would ever use a gun, a weapon that needed no skill to be used. "Hiding won't help either of you. You'll both die here." As soon as he said that, Neji shot to his feet and ran full speed at the enemy ninja. Jiroubou lifted the gun and shot at Neji several more times, emptying the cartridge. He threw the gun at the Hyuuga prodigy, who dodged it easily. Neji flung a palm out, intending to immobilize Jiroubou, but the large ninja backed up, dodging the attack. But the _Byakugan_ user was not finished. He stood slightly hunched forward with his arms out in front and behind him.

"_Hakkeshou Rokujuu Yonshou_!" Tenten looked on in amazement as Neji closed 64 of Jiroubou's tenketsu. Even though she had seen that particular attack hundreds of times, and had even been on the receiving end of it more than once, it never failed to awe her. Seeing Neji use one of his most powerful attacks just reaffirmed her respect, admiration and deep affection for him. And to think he was using this attack to protect her made her heart beat twice as fast.

Jiroubou flew into the trunk of a tree when Neji finished his attack. Tenten was immediately by his side, making sure he was alright. "Sit down, I'll bandage those wounds." But she didn't get the chance to do anything as the tree that Jiroubou slammed into was suddenly colliding with the side of her face. She sailed through the air, landing on her shoulder, wincing at the stabbing pain emanating from that spot. Neji managed to duck just in time when Jiroubou aimed the tree at him. The large ninja's chest and stomach was wide open and Neji took the opportunity to use his finishing move. But Jiroubou was faster than he had originally thought and all Neji ended up hitting was the tree, breaking it in half. The enemy ninja grinned and punched the Hyuuga genius with amazing force, sending him crashing through a group of trees. His body was one giant pain, and he felt himself weakening from all the blood he'd lost. Muscles screaming with effort, he pulled himself to his feet, just in time to be punched again by that giant, immensely powerful fist. Jiroubou laughed as he fell.

"Is this it? This is all the 'Hyuuga Prodigy' can do? I must say, I'm not impressed. I expected more of a fight. What's wrong? Can't get up?" He shouted the last word as he viciously kicked Neji in the stomach. Neji coughed out blood and closed his eyes in pain. There was a wet tearing sound and Neji opened his eyes to see Tenten standing over him, blood dripping off her kodachi. Her right arm was dislocated.

"Don't you know it's impolite to kick a man when he's down?"Jiroubou smirked, despite having a deep gash across his abdomen.

"Well, I don't see any men here." he taunted. Tenten narrowed her eyes and attacked, slashing at him with her kodachi. He moved out of the way and grabbed her arm, tossing her like a rag doll. She would have crashed into a tree if Neji hadn't gotten to his feet and caught her.

"Neji!" he placed her on the ground and stared at Jiroubou, his face tense and angry. "You're injured. You don't have to fight him. I will."

"No." Was all he said before he charged at the bigger ninja. Jiroubou aimed a punch at his face which he easily avoided, using his chakra to restore the speed his injuries had depleted. His palms slammed into the larger ninja's stomach and chest area at lightning speed. He could feel his chakra decreasing by the second.

Tenten smiled. Neji didn't seem to be injured too badly. He was moving just as fast as he always had. But her smile faded when she noticed the entire front of her shirt was soaked in blood. She knew instantly that it was Neji's. She looked at him again and realized the entire front of his shirt was soaked, and streams of blood ran down his legs. **_He's losing way too much blood...and I bet he's using up his chakra reserves moving at that speed. He won't last much longer if I don't do something!_** She gripped the kodachi and jumped in the trees, counting on Jiroubou to be too distracted with defending against Neji's attacks to notice her. She took up a spot on the branch of a tree right above the fight, wishing fervently that she had her scrolls. **_If only I had my scrolls, this fight would be over in the next five minutes! But I have to help Neji no matter what. He would do the same for me. _**She watched carefully for an opening, eyes widening when she spotted one. **_Now!_** She grabbed her weapon and hurled it at Jiroubou. His yell of pain and surprise made the kunoichi smile.

Neji blinked when his opponent yelled and held a hand to the fork that was sticking out of his right eye. Was he seeing things? He blinked the sweat out of his eyes. No. There really was a fork in Jiroubou's eye. He smirked and silently thanked Tenten. This was it. This was probably the only chance he would get. He gathered up one of the last bits of chakra he had left and used all his remaining strength to hit Jiroubou's chest, right over his heart, confident of his win.

Which was why all he could do was stare at the fork embedded in his palm and wonder **_How did that happen?_** He didn't even feel any pain as Jiroubou picked up a fist sized rock and used it to add more strength to his punch, which connected with Neji's jaw, popping it out of place. He landed with a thud on the ground and all he could think of was **_I can't believe I lost to that fat fuck._** A one-eye Jiroubou ran at the fallen Hyuuga and furiously punched his stomach, causing him to spit up more blood that he couldn't afford to lose. **_I hope Tenten just runs away and doesn't do anything drastic..._**he thought vaguely as the insanely angered ninja continued to pummel him further and further into the ground. But his hopes were dashed as he heard her familiar grunt of effort which always came after she stabbed something. He opened his eyes to see Tenten's neck in Jiroubou's huge hand. The kodachi was lying on the ground. The weapons master was struggling to get her neck out of his strong grip, but to no avail. He held her an arms length away from him so none of her kicks or punches could connect with any sensitive areas. **_No..._** He couldn't let her die. Not like that, not by his hands. Mustering up strength he didn't know he had, Neji grabbed the kodachi and ran Jiroubou through viciously with it. The large ninja reacted instantly, dropping Tenten on the ground. He glared angrily at Neji, unable to accept he was dying. The Hyuuga genius let go of the kodachi and rested his arms at his sides. Jiroubou growled deep in his throat and his eye had a gleam in it that Neji didn't like.

The next few seconds were like slow motion. Jiroubou smirked and pulled the kodachi from his body. Neji's eyes widened slightly as he held the blade high and rammed it into the Hyuuga's chest. He heard Tenten's agonized scream of denial in the distance. Jiroubou coughed up blood and fell, his breathing getting shallower and shallower until it stopped altogether. Neji closed his eyes and leaned his head on the ground. He'd won. It cost him his life, but he won. (Student # 8- Jiroubou...DEAD)

He felt someone kneeling at his side. Tenten. "Neji! Open your eyes! You can't die here! Do you hear me? You can't die, I can't let you!" With great effort, he opened his eyes and looked at her. She was crying. It was the first time he had ever seen her cry and he couldn't help but be surprised that it was for him. She was actually crying over him. Her head was on his chest and she was sobbing loudly.

"Tenten..." She lifted her head up to look at him. Her tears had mixed with his blood and it looked like her tears were red.

"Neji! You're still alive! Don't worry, I'll fix your wounds and you'll be fine, okay? Uh...we don't have any bandaging so I have to use your shirt. I hope you don't mind." He wanted to tell her that he was dying and in a few minutes it wouldn't matter if he minded that he was shirtless, but he didn't have the strength to speak. "Your jaw was popped out of place so I'm just going to reset it. It'll only hurt for a second." She held his jaw gently in her hands and before he knew it, she popped it back into place, almost painlessly. "I'm also going to take out the kodachi, okay? It's going to hurt but just bear with it, alright?" He watched as she gripped the handle of the kodachi and almost laughed when she winced right before pulling it out, as if she was the one in pain. After pulling out the blade, Tenten wasted no time in stripping Neji of his shirt and tearing it to make bandages.

As she worked, she tried not to burst into tears again. She had thought he'd only been shot twice, but when she took off his shirt she learned that wasn't true. It seemed that all seven bullets Jiroubou had fired hit him. Forcing her hands not to shake, she tightly tied strips of Neji's shirt on his wounds, stopping the blood flow. A part of her knew her efforts were in vain. He was going to die no matter what she did, but another part of her refused to accept that. He was Hyuuga Neji, he couldn't die! She'd always pictured him as being immortal, invincible. But looking at him now, at his unnaturally pale skin, at the blood caking his body, she knew she had been stupid to think that. No one was invincible. Not even him.

He hadn't even realized he'd closed his eyes until he opened them again. Tiny droplets of water were hitting his skin. Tenten's tears. Forcing his arm to move, he slowly reached up to brush the tears away. His hand didn't quite make it and he ended up gripping her forehead protector instead. The strength in his arm wavered and his arm fell back to his side, her forehead protector still in his hand, pulling it off her head. She was staring at him, surprised at his actions. "_Gomen..." _he whispered, barely able to hear himself. "I..." he found that he couldn't get the words out. **_I'm sorry Tenten...for everything...I didn't mean to be so cold towards you...I just wish I could tell you...what you mean to me..._**Breathing was becoming difficult now. Something on his hand startled him and he opened his eyes again, this time unable to open them fully. Tenten's hand was gripping his. She'd stopped bandaging him. Had she realized it was futile? Did she know he was seconds away from death?

Tenten felt Neji's hand tighten slightly around hers. She continued to hold onto his hand even after she felt his grip slacken. His eyes closed again and she knew that was it. She couldn't see his chest rising and falling anymore. He'd stopped breathing. She tried desperately to stop crying, but failed. Unable to express her degree of sorrow through crying alone, she found herself opening her mouth and emitting a loud, tortured scream. This was a pain like she'd never felt before. She just wanted to rip her heart out of her chest so it would stop hurting.

The weapons master looked at Neji's face, searching for life. She found nothing. Looking at him now, she was surprised to see his expression was one of peace. He seemed so relaxed, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. As though he was happy his time had come. **_How could he have been happy? _**She thought. **_How could he have been happy to die? How could he have been happy leaving me behind?_**

He still held her forehead protector in his hand. On impulse, she gently lifted his head off the ground and untied his forehead protector. She saw the seal on his forehead and glared at it before tying her forehead protector over it. She had no wish to see the one thing that had plagued him his whole life. Taking liberties she never would have dared to when he was alive, she leaned down and lightly kissed his cheek. It was already cold. Taking one last look at the person she loved, who'd been stolen from her, she got to her feet. She wiped away her tears, a determined look in her eyes, and tied Neji's forehead protector on her head. Those Sound Four bastards would pay. It didn't matter that the one who actually killed him was dead. All of them were killers and if she didn't stop them, more of her friends would die. And Lee was still out there. What if one of them got him? How could she live with herself if her two best friends died at the hands of Sound 4? How could she live with herself if anyone died by their hands? She picked up the kodachi, the weapon Neji had ultimately been killed with and sheathed it. So what she didn't have her scrolls and only had one kodachi? She was on a mission, and she never failed a mission. Never.

"What was that?" Sakura asked, looking around. Even Naruto was quiet for once as he listened to the pained scream coming from somewhere not too far off. "You don't think..." she trailed off, not wanting to say any more.

"I don't know." Was Sasuke's answer.

"We should go and find out what's going on! Maybe we can save someone!" Naruto said in his typical loud and exuberant manner. Sasuke sighed. Was it possible for Naruto to be quiet for more than five seconds?

"Great idea, _dobe. _And while we're at it, why don't we just start screaming out our positions so that everyone can hear us? If we don't know the situation, it's too risky to proceed. We have to concentrate on saving ourselves." Naruto glared at him.

"But what if it's a teammate that needs our help? Do you just want to leave whoever it was to die?" The Uchiha's silence was answer enough. "Fine! Stay here if you want to, _Sasuke-temme_, but I'm going! Are you coming, Sakura-chan?" She looked at Sasuke pleadingly.

"If it's someone that needs our help, don't you think we should go? It's the right thing to do..." Sasuke sighed. It looked like he was going to have to go with them on their ridiculous moral pursuit.

"Fine." Sakura grinned and Naruto scowled. He half wished Sasuke had said no so he could be alone with Sakura-chan, without that annoyingly arrogant asshole. The trio carefully walked through the woods, trying not to make any sound that would alert a possible enemy to their whereabouts. Within minutes they came upon the first pool of blood on the ground. Sakura grabbed the nunchakus that she had been supplied with while Naruto took out his supplied switchblade. Sasuke made no move to take out his weapon.

"Sasuke..why don't you take out your weapon? It's dangerous to be unarmed." Sakura pointed out. The dark haired ninja scowled and looked away from her.

"I'll be fine." Naruto began laughing.

"He's just angry about his supplied weapon! His weapon is a bible!" Sasuke balked and glared at the laughing ninja.

"How did you know that?"

"When you and Sakura-chan went off to go to the bathroom I looked through your bag!" Sakura barely held Sasuke back from attacking Naruto.

"We should really find out who's blood this is, don't you think Sasuke-kun?" He glared at Naruto once more and walked ahead without saying a word. The pink haired kunoichi turned on Naruto, fire in her eyes. "How dare you provoke Sasuke-kun? I'm sure he could fight better with that bible than you can with that knife!" The blond shinobi looked down at the ground.

"But Sakura-chan..."

"Shut up!" She turned around and went in the direction of Sasuke.

"Damn Sasuke...he always has to ruin everything..."He ran after Sakura, but stopped short next to her when he saw the scene in front of him. Lying on the ground next to the body of one of the Sound 4 was Hyuuga Neji. He had several small wounds and one large wound on his chest. Sakura gasped and put a hand over her mouth to keep from throwing up. This was the first time she'd ever encountered death. Next to her, she could see Naruto struggling to keep in his own bile. He couldn't keep it in as well as she could however, because seconds later he regurgitated all over Neji's chest and part of his face.

"Naruto! You're so disgusting! Don't you have any respect for the dead? Couldn't you have at least done that behind a tree?" She yelled, hitting him over the head.

"But Sakura-chan..." he protested. She scowled at him and turned to Sasuke, who looked like he was about to vomit himself after Naruto's stunning display of puke. Shaking her head, she looked back at Neji's defiled body. **_Wait a minute...I swear I just saw his chest move like he was breathing._** She walked over to the body and put a finger under his nose to check if he was breathing. It was very faint, but she felt small bursts of air.

"He's alive!" she exclaimed. "Barely, but he's still alive!"

"What do we do?" Naruto asked.

"Don't worry. I have everything under control." she kneeled down next to Neji and put her hands over his chest. "Tsunade-sama taught me how to heal. _Chiyute no Jutsu!"_ Her hands glowed blue, illuminating the ground around them in a soft blue light. Sasuke and Naruto were staring at her, wondering if her healing technique was going to work.

Tiny beads of sweat dripped down her forehead as she concentrated on healing the wounds on her classmate. Sure, she was able to heal small cuts and even gashes easily, but healing so many deep wounds was exhausting and she had only just begun. But his life was in her hands, and that fact spurred her on. She wouldn't be able to bear it if he died on her so she put all her effort and energy into healing. After a few minutes, she felt her chakra supply drastically decreasing. She couldn't go on much longer. But he hadn't even opened his eyes yet, so she couldn't possibly stop. **_Please make it Neji-san..._**She thought desperately. She had to stop soon, her chakra was dangerously low.

"Sakura-chan...there's nothing more you can do. Don't exhaust yourself." Naruto said softly.

"I agree." Was all Sasuke said. She chose to ignore them and keep going. He had to make it, he just had to. Just when she was about to collapse, she saw white eyes slowly open. With an exhausted smile, she stopped the healing jutsu and shakily got to her feet. Neji was staring at her, as though he couldn't believe she had saved him.

"Are you alright now?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes."

"I'm glad." The last thing she saw was Naruto's amazed expression and then her world went black.

* * *

So...what did you all think? If there's anything you feel should have been added to this chapter, or if I should have taken anything out, please tell me, and I'll do my best to try and make you happy, or at least explain why I wrote certain things. I love getting constructive criticism, so don't be afraid to give me suggestions! 


	7. UPDATE!

Wow. Ok first of all, let me just apologize for leaving this story, and all my lovely reviewers hanging for YEARS. The thing is, shortly after I posted CH. 6, my grandma died and I stopped writing for a while. Then I stopped watching Naruto because I didn't like how the plot was moving. I still haven't continued watching it, but I watched a few old episodes and remembered how much I love the whole Naruto universe and all its characters. Thus, I've decided to continue with this fic! Since I haven't even started writing a new chapter yet, it might be a week or two until I actually post something new, but it's coming. Don't worry! I'm deteremined to finish ths story once and for all!


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